Research Methods

Question 1

What is a null hypothesis

Answer 1

A hypothesis that predicts there will be no difference found in results found in the results between the conditions

Question 2

What is an alternative/experimental hypotheses (Ha or H1)

Answer 2

These predict that there will be a significant difference in the results between the two conditions

Question 3

what is a one-tailed hypothesis

Answer 3

These state the direction the researcher expects the results to move in. In a correlational study the predicted direction can either be positive or negative

Question 4

What is a two-tailed hypothesis

Answer 4

These state that there will be a difference found between conditions of the independent variable but does not state the direction of a difference or relationship

Question 5

What is the independent variable

Answer 5

The variable that is changed

Question 6

What is the dependent variable

Answer 6

the variable being measured

Question 7

What is volunteer sampling

Answer 7

Where participants volunteer themselves through advertisments…

Question 8

What is opportunity sampling

Answer 8

using people who are available at the time the study is being carried out and willing to take part, it’s based on convenience

Question 9

What is random sampling

Answer 9

When every person in the target population has an equal chance of being selected

Question 10

What is systematic sampling

Answer 10

When a system is used to select participants, picking every Nth person from all possible participants

Question 11

What is stratified sampling

Answer 11

When you identify the subgroups and select participants in proportion to their occurences

Question 12

What does operationalisation of variables mean

Answer 12

Means making them measurable/quantifiable

Question 13

What are extraneous variables

Answer 13

All variables that are not the independent variable but could affect the results of the experiment

Question 14

What are demand characteristics

Answer 14

A type of extraneous variable that occurs if the participants work out the aim of the research study

Question 15

What is independent design

Answer 15

Each participant is selected for only one group

Question 16

What is matched pairs design

Answer 16

Each participant is selected for only one group, but the participants in the two groups are matched for some relevant factor

Question 17

What is the repeated measures design

Answer 17

each participant appears in both groups so that there are exactly the same participants in each group

Question 18

How can order effect be avoided

Answer 18

counterbalancing

Question 19

What is a lab experiment

Answer 19

conducted in a well-controlled environment not necessarily a laboratory and therefor accurate and objective measurements possible

Question 20

What are field experiments

Answer 20

conducted in the everyday, natural environment of the participants. The experimenter still manipulates the IV, but in a real life setting. It may be possible to control extraneous variables, through such control is more difficult than in a lab experiment

Question 21

What is a natural experiment

Answer 21

When a naturally occurring IV is investigated that isn’t deliberately manipulated, it exists anyway. Participants aren’t randomly allocated and the natural event may only occur rarely

Question 22

What is correlation coefficient

Answer 22

a score that’s value ranges from 0-1 the closer the score to 1 the stronger the relationship between variables

Question 23

What are structured interviews

Answer 23

Formal, standardised, fixed predetermined set of questions generally closed questions

Question 24

What is an unstructured interview

Answer 24

Informal, no set questions generally open questions

Question 25

What is the aim of a study

Answer 25

driven by a theory to explain a given observation, states the intent of the study in general terms.

Question 26

What is the difference between aims and hypothesis

Answer 26

Study aims refer to the broader study questions, whereas the study hypotheses are specific assumptions about the relationships between study variables, which can be statistically tested.

Question 27

What is an naturalistic observation

Answer 27

a research method that involves observing subjects in their natural environment.

Question 28

What is a controlled observation

Answer 28

a research method where researchers watch participants in a contained environment, such as a laboratory.

Question 29

What does operationalisation mean

Answer 29

turning abstract conceptual ideas into measurable observations.

Question 30

What does standardisation mean

Answer 30

the process in which procedures used in research are kept the same.

Question 31

What does randomisation mean

Answer 31

a process of randomly assigning experimental subjects to one of the treatment groups so that many potential influences that cannot be controlled for (e.g., height, weight) or cannot be determined by observation

Question 32

What does reliability mean

Answer 32

the consistency of the findings or results of a psychology research study.

Question 33

What does validity mean

Answer 33

assumes that the test in question measures precisely what it aims to measure, meaning the data collected is accurate and represents some truth compared to others outside of the study

Question 34

What is objectivity

Answer 34

a feature of science, and if something is objective it is not affected by the personal feelings and experiences of the researcher

Question 35

What does empiricism mean

Answer 35

refers to the belief that knowledge is derived from observable, measurable experiences and evidence, rather than from intuition or speculation.

Question 36

What does replicability mean

Answer 36

This refers to whether a particular method and finding can be repeated with different/same people and/or on different occasions to see if the results are similar.

Question 37

What is theory construction

Answer 37

A theory is a set of principles that intend to explain certain behaviours or events. A theory can be constructed using evidence gathered via research to support its central assumptions and principles as theories cannot exist on the basis of beliefs alone: they require empirical evidence.

Question 38

What is a paradigm

Answer 38

consists of the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methods of study that are commonly accepted by members of a discipline or group.

Question 39

What is a paradigm shift

Answer 39

as identified Thomas Kuhn (1962), is an important change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline.

Question 40

What is a type 1 error

Answer 40

false-positive) occurs if an investigator rejects a null hypothesis that is actually true in the population;

Question 41

What is a type 2 error

Answer 41

a type II error (false-negative) occurs if the investigator fails to reject a null hypothesis that is actually false in the population.

Question 42

What is content analysis

Answer 42

a method used to analyse qualitative data (non-numerical data).

Question 43

What type of data is ordinal data

Answer 43

data which is placed into some kind of order or scale.

Question 44

What type of data is interval data

Answer 44

data measured in fixed units with equal distance between points on the scale.

Question 45

What type of data is nominal data

Answer 45

data which can be separated into discrete categories which do not overlap.

Question 46

What is test-retest reliability

Answer 46

the degree to which test scores remain unchanged when measuring a stable individual characteristic on different occasions.